I’ve been knitting this cowl and I really like the pattern. It is a repeat of 4 rows and once I got the hang of it I could lay the instructions aside and just “read” the stitches to figure out what to do next. :cheering: Of course I went wrong a few times And of course I didn’t notice untill I was quite far … so I left it that way But that is not what I’m bumped about.
I am currently blocking the cowl and I am trying to anticipate my next move: seaming the two sides together with a kitchener stitch. I’ve read quite a bit on the matter and watched some video’s. It looks so easy - so obvious. But when I try it, I don’t get a result I can live with.
I made a very short project to practice on - it has the provisional cast on and the starting row as described in the pattern. The last knitted row is indeed row 2 as mentioned. But somehow these rows don’t add up when I try to use the kitchener stitch. I figured they should, as I basically need to “sew row 3” inbetween the two rows. But it doesn’t work :???:
Here’s what I get:
I tried the “usual” kitchener stitch (knit, purl, purl, knit) on the lace part. This works OK on one row, but the other looks like it is purled: the top is OK (apart from one mistake I made) but the bottom isn’t. I don’t get why this happens - or what to do against it.
Is it even possible to do a kitchiner stitch on a yarn over? On both sides?
For the moss stitches I tried to work follow the 8 steps from this description, but as you can see (in the middle) this really looks awful.
I then tried to do the same as for stockinette and this does work but I don’t really like to suddenly have a row of stockinette there. I know that it is just one of the 200 or so, but still - the idea of kitchener stitch is that there’s no seam and there will be when I try to do it this way.
It seems like none of the other people on Ravelry that used this pattern had any problems on this part, so I am wondering whether I am missing the obvious :think:
It looks to me like the biggest obstacle here is you’re trying to Kitchener seed stitch and lace. Most info you’ll find for basic Kitchener is for stockinette.
Here’s some info for seed stitch in pattern (rib, seed, garter) that might help.
The lace…I’m not sure. I’d probably just line it up best I could and wing it.
@Jan in CA
Thank you for the link, I had not found that page yet.
I try to understand the process behind the Kitchener stitch. I think I get how it works, but I don’t understand why it goes wrong on the lace. The main problem there might be in the provisional cast on.
After the prov.CO I knitted a row 4 for the lace: [yo, k2tog]. Then the whole shawl and as last a row 2: [k2tog, yo]. The kitchener stitch goes inbetween these two and as it would be a row 3: purl (WS) I think one can use the stockinette Kitchener stitch. But apparently one can only for the row 2, not for the row 4. I wonder what goes wrong in my reasoning.
Does the prov.CO have any influence on the stitches of that edge? Are they all showing like knit stitches? Should I use garner kitchener stitch on that needle?
I try to read the stitches but I am just not sure… And the lifelines are there because they have to be but they make it more complicated to see what I’m actually doing (I am working on the ‘real thing’ now So far it is still a mess…)
In reading some of the project notes on this cowl some noted doing a 3-needle bind-off.
I just grafted two sections of a stole with lace stitches and ended up with a seam much like the 3-needle bind-off. It flattened considerably after blocking but is in no way “invisible”.
Part of the problem may be that when you undo the provisional cast on, you end with one fewer stitch than your cast on. This is because you’re actually knitting the loops between the cast on sts as this tutorial from the ever helpful TechKnitter explains.
Jan, thanks very much for the Kitchener link. Great explanation.
@JudyD and @ButlersAbroad
I’ve thougth about alternatives, but the 3 needle BO would indeed leave a seam and the matress stitch would do to - at least how I know to do it. And indeed, I’m not sure how to apply the last one on lace.
@Salmonmac
Thank you for the link about the provisional cast on. This really does help me to understand what is going on.
Still not sure about the seam, but I’m sure I’ll get there. I’ll post the result when I’m happy with the outcome Thanks for all the ideas.
And of course I didn’t notice untill I was quite far … so I left it that way 
But that is not what I’m bumped about.
